3. At the time, Barcelona was thriving, thanks to the health of its textile industry. Many of its richest citizens enjoyed allying themselves to artists, intellectuals and other celebrities of the time. As a result, sponsorship money was thrown at Gaudi, but his first big architectural project was a workers' cooperative housing project.

4. But his social conscience didn't stop him from creating buildings so gaudy they would have made Gianni Versace blush.

5. Common themes in Gaudi's work include an asymmetry far ahead of its time.